Monitoring the Session

SB 833

in vitro coverage loosens: three years of infertility, not five

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Nathan JohnsonDSenate 16

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to conditions applicable to health benefit plan coverage of in vitro fertilization procedures.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The spouse’s-sperm-only rule goes too.

The bill loosens the conditions under which a group health plan's in vitro fertilization coverage must apply. It removes the rule that only the spouse's sperm may be used and cuts the required history of infertility from five continuous years to three. Patients on group health plans that offer this coverage can qualify sooner and with donor sperm starting with plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 676 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 676 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Jan 16, 2025 and referred to the Senate Health & Human Services committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB833 · 2025-01-16

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to conditions applicable to health benefit plan coverage of in vitro fertilization procedures.

WHAT IT DOES

The spouse’s-sperm-only rule goes too.

The bill loosens the conditions under which a group health plan's in vitro fertilization coverage must apply. It removes the rule that only the spouse's sperm may be used and cuts the required history of infertility from five continuous years to three. Patients on group health plans that offer this coverage can qualify sooner and with donor sperm starting with plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Health & Human Services
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

Daniel Cocanougher$250,000Texas Sands PAC$130KMarguerite Hoffman$125,000

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Daniel Cocanougher$250,000.00
Texas Sands PAC$129,500.00

Texas Sands PAC

$129,500.00

Cash
$129,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$129,500.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 27, 2024 to May 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100990378, 101033698, 101040111, 101052272.

Marguerite Hoffman$125,000.00
Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$129,500.00

Cash
$129,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$129,500.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 27, 2024 to May 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100990378, 101033698, 101040111, 101052272.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R SB 676

by Sen. Johnson, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Feb 17, 2023: Referred to Health & Human Services

Relating to conditions applicable to health benefit plan coverage of in vitro fertilization procedures.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Jan 16, 2025

02/13/2025 S Referred to Health & Human Services

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Senate committee · Health & Human Services · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

HB 1207 by González, Jessica (identical)

Subjects

Insurance--Health & Accident

INFERTILITY

PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH

Text

The text as introduced · 314 words

89R513 SCL-D

By: Johnson
S.B. No. 833

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to conditions applicable to health benefit plan coverage

of in vitro fertilization procedures.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 1366.005, Insurance Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 1366.005. CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO COVERAGE. The

coverage offered under Section 1366.003 is required only if:

(1) the patient for the in vitro fertilization

procedure is an individual covered under the group health benefit

plan;

(2) [ the fertilization or attempted fertilization of

the patient's oocytes is made only with the sperm of the patient's

spouse;

[ (3) ] the patient or [ and ] the patient's spouse has

[ have ] a history of infertility of at least three [ five ] continuous

years' duration or the infertility is associated with:

(A) endometriosis;

(B) exposure in utero to diethylstilbestrol

(DES);

(C) blockage of or surgical removal of one or

both fallopian tubes; or

(D) oligospermia;

(3) [ (4) ] the patient has been unable to attain a

successful pregnancy through any less costly applicable

infertility treatments for which coverage is available under the

group health benefit plan; and

(4) [ (5) ] the in vitro fertilization procedures are

performed at a medical facility that conforms to the minimal

standards for programs of in vitro fertilization adopted by the

American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

SECTION 2. Section 1366.005, Insurance Code, as amended by

this Act, applies only to a health benefit plan delivered, issued

for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. A health

benefit plan delivered, issued for delivery, or renewed before

January 1, 2026, is governed by the law as it existed immediately

before the effective date of this Act, and that law is continued in

effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.